Gospel Reading for Today
From The Second Testament, forthcoming June 2023.
Yēsous vs. the Interpreters
21 You heard that it was said to the Ancients, You will not murder, and “Whoever murders will be guilty before the judgment.” 22 But I say this to you, that the one angry with his sibling will be guilty before the judgment. Anyone who says to his sibling with “Fool!”[1] will be guilty before the Central Council. Whoever says, “Idiot!” will be guilty before the Valley of Destructive Fire [Gehenna]. 23 Therefore, if you offer your donation at the sacrificial altar and there remember that your sibling has something against you, 24 release there your donation before the sacrificial altar, first go away, be reconciled with your sibling and then, coming, offer your donation. 25 Become friends with your adversary quickly – while you are on the path with him – or else your adversary may give you over to the judge and the judge to the subordinate and you will be tossed into prison. 26 This is true to say to you: you will never exit from there until you have paid off the last copper coin.
27 You heard that it was said, You will not be adulterous. 28 But I say this to you that, Anyone looking at a woman to desire her already adulterated in his heart. 29 If your right eye trips you, pull it out and toss it from you, for It’s to your benefit that you one of your [body] parts is destroyed and your whole body not be tossed into the Valley of Destruction. 30 If your right hand trips you up, chop it off and toss it from you, for It’s to your benefit that one of your body parts is destroyed and your whole body not depart into the Valley of Destruction.
31 It was said, Whoever loosens his woman let him give to her a legal dismissal. 32 But I say this to you: Anyone dismissing his woman – an exception for the case of sexual immorality – makes her to adulterate, and whoever marries the woman loosened, adulterates.
33 Again, you heard that it was said to the Ancients, You will not perjure, but you will give back to the Lord your oath. 34 But I say this to you: Don’t make oaths at all – not by heaven because it’s God’s Throne, 35 not by the land because it’s his footstool for his feet, not in Yierosoluma because it’s the great king’s city of the, 36 nor are you to make oaths by your head because you aren’t able to make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be Yes, yes, No no. Anything bounding beyond this is from the evil one.
[1] An Aramaic term roughly equivalent to the Greek term “Mōre” to follow; both terms roughly mean “Stupid!” or “Idiot!” or “Fool!,” and are contemptuous condemnations.